An unnamed PKK leader has told a Turkish newspaper that Israeli soldiers have visited PKK training camps in the Kandil Mountains area to train members to use heavy weapons and bombs.

The unnamed man who defected from a Kurdish training camp said that Israeli officers have trained the PKK, a Kurdish separatist organization that has led an armed resistance against Turkey, for years. He told the newspaper that the Mossad has long been present in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq, a relationship that dates back to 1967 to the time of Kurdish leader Mullah Mustafa Barzani who had a close relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol.

Accusations of Israeli support of PKK have been on the rise in recent weeks. Chairman of the ruling AKP party, Hüseyin Çelik, accused Israel of being behind the PKK bombing in İskenderun earlier this month which left seven Turkish soldiers killed.

"We don't think it is a coincidence that our soldiers were killed and the attack aimed at Gaza occurred at the same time. Whenever Turkey has a say in the international community, whenever we fly high, some circles take action to bring trouble to Turkey and disturb peace and calm. These could be orchestrated international powers or their subcontractors in Turkey," said Çelik.

Leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said, "Various circles have concerns over this issue. Seven soldiers were killed. This is something very important. As the Israeli marines continue operations, such an attack took place in Turkey. This is very intriguing."